Carlo Constanzo

Carlo Constanzo (died 1499) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church.

Biography
Carlo Constanzo was one of many young Cardinals to be appointed by Pope Alexander VI in 1499, replacing several older cardinals who had been banished from Rome and expelled from the cardinalate. Caterina Sforza sent Constanzo a letter in a golden box, demanding a continued peace between the House of Sforza and the Papal States; he was to deliver it to the Pope. He attempted to present the box to Cesare Borgia so that he could give it to his father, but Borgia, uninterested in what Sforza had to say, ordered Constanzo to burn it. Constanzo disobeyed his orders and opened it at his estate, only to find a handkerchief carrying the plague. His servant died first, and Constanzo's curiosity got the better of him. Constanzo fell victim to the plague, and he asked for Cesare Borgia to burn his estate down with himself inside of it, sacrificing himself to contain the plague. Borgia told Constanzo that there were quicker deaths than burning, so he threw him a blade. Constanzo killed himself, and the estate was burnt down shortly after.